Gators And Blades Come Close But Lose Championship Games

Sports

A couple of Seminole Soccer Club teams traveled to Atlanta, Ga., last month for the Pele Labor Day Tournament and came back with second-place finishes.

The Seminole Gators under-17 girls team, forced to play in a higher age bracket when its division was dropped, made it to the championship game in the under-19 division before losing to the Margate Blitz, 3-1, in the final.

The under-17 Blades boys team won five games in a row, then lost to Concorde '75 of Atlanta, 5-2, in the championship game. The team consists of players from Seminole, Orange and Volusia counties.

The Gators - a team made up of players from Lyman, Lake Brantley, Lake Mary, Lake Howell, Bishop Moore and Orangewood Christian - had little trouble with its first three opponents. They defeated the Georgia TYSA Kicks, 8-1, in their first game, led by Danielle Garrett's four goals. Stephanie Feulner scored two goals and Liz Hufford and Shirley Campos added one apiece.

In their second game, the Gators played under-19 Georgia state champions - the RYSA Lady Sting. Hufford scored on an assist by Garrett and Garrett scored on an assist from Feulner for a 2-0 victory.

The Gators then advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2 victory over Georgia Cobb Union. Hufford had a hat trick, and single goals were scored by Garrett, Stacey Harding and Brooke The Gators then advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2 victory over Georgia Cobb Union. Hufford had a hat trick, and single goals were scored by Garrett, Stacey Harding and Brooke Priddy. Feulner had three assists.

That set up a showdown against Seminole Soccer Club's under-19 team, the Blaze. The young Gators nipped the Blaze, 5-4, with Garrett scoring four goals, and Nicole Delahoussaye scoring the other one. Delahoussaye also had two assists.

In the final, the Gators' lone goal was scored by Hufford.

The boys team was led by Pete Armando and David Olaker with seven goals apiece in the tournament. Armando scored four goals in a 5-4 victory over F.C. Lightning of Peachtree City, Ga., and had two in a 5-1 victory over the Rocket City Kickers of Huntsville, Ala. Olaker had four goals in a 7-0 victory against Genesis of Stone Mountain, Ga., and scored on two headers in a 5-0 triumph over the Hot Spurs of Orlando.

The Blades started the tournament by tying Concorde '76 of Atlanta, 4-4, with goals scored by Stuart Anderson, Sean McClafferty, Del Smith and Markus Sonntag. Against the Kickers, McClafferty, Smith and Marshall Dickerson also scored goals.

Tony Anderson coaches the Blades and Paul Vandestreek coaches the Gators, who have won four state titles in the past five years.